Selective writing instrument



De. 25, 1951 J A VIERLING 2,579,887

SELECTJEVE WRITING INSTRUMENT Filed March 19, 1947 Zhwentor JOHN A.VIERLING D Y I Gttorneg Patented Dec. 25, 1951SELECTIVE'WRITINGINSTRUMENTE John. A; Vi'erling, St; Paul, .Min'n.,.assignor' to 1;

Brown & Bigelow, St; Paul, Minn:

ApplicatiouMarchH, 194?,qSerial No; 3735,5594

My. invention relatesto a writing. instrument wherein ink is heldwithina reservoir andisicareriedito the surface .of=the,.paper,.on.-which:it is desired to .write,,.by means- 01 a steelrball'. The

ink used. in my, writing, instrument. is \contained. Within operabletubular .magazines, and .theball. attracts .the iink when in l. writingposition so as to carry the ink onto the surface whenwriting...

Aiprimary; feature-of my writing instrument resides in providing aseries of movable ink reservoirs, each havingiindividual writing ballpoints mounted thereon, which reservoirs areadapted to-=be'--moved"intoand outof "writing: position, as.

may be desired. Thus, if a person wishes'to write with: .oneacolorrinmthe magazine carrying that-color ink may be projected into writingposition readily for use. If a different colorink is desired the:reservoirs are adjusted inrtherbarrel-so thatathe color of ink: whichthe: person wishes -to use may be put intooperativerwriting positionwith a writing ball-endprojecting from theforwardaend of thewriting-instrument,

It is alsoa feature to providea writingoinstrument wherein the severalinkreservoirs,mayabe retracted: into the casing and Jheld' in thispositioniwithth'e writing ends onthe'reservoirscovered'by the casing ofthe instrument to conceal the same when not desired for use. My writinginstrument does not require a cap for covering the writing end thereoflike the ordinary fountain pen.

Two or more ink reservoir units may be emplayed in my writing instrumentwhich provides a means of virtually instantly selecting the colored inkdesired and in a simple manner changing to a different color.

The ink reservoirs may be rather small where a number of colors aredesired, so that the barrel of the pen or writing instrument will not betoo large for convenient use. The barrel of the pen may be round,square, hexagonal, triangular or any desired shape to accommodate theink reservoirs which are slidably positioned within the casing.

The ink reservoirs are adapted to be operated in one form of my writinginstrument by a screw propelling mechanism within the barrel which maybe in the form of a formed or cut screw or a tubing with the threadrolled therein, or in the form where slots are cut in the tube whichprojects or retracts the writing points. The mechanism includes a rightand left-hand thread which operates to project one point when the otherwriting point is withdrawn. Further, all of the writing points may bemoved into a neu- IClaim. (Cl. 120..42.13)".

2 tral position concealed withinrthecasing. of: they writinginstrumental These. features; together. with other. details;; objects.and variationanwill be. fully and clearly.

hereinafter set-forth.

In the. drawings forming part of the specificattion:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross section of my writing instrumentshowing one formthereotk,

Figure 2 is an. enlarged.crossflsectionion-,the. line 1-2 "of. Figure.-1 therslotted sleeve member, however, being: omitted.

Figure, 3 is s an ,enlargedaoross section-:omthe" line: -|--3-oi?;Figure r1.

Figure .4 is. a detail. of the threa'deaused in l the; instrumentinFigure. 1. V

Figure 5wissa sideview of r the; slottedaguide sleeve.whichsurrou-ndsthe thread. of the-, unit shownin. Figure 4 and whichisadapted to guide. the threaded, crossheadswhich are attached to eachunit by: a connecting spring arm.

Figured is an endview of thesleevershowm inFigure 5. v

Figure! is aperspective detailootone-otthe ink .units showing .-thespring armrconnectingrthes threaded crossheadto .the ink unit.

The-writinginstrument A illustrated in..Figurei- 1 shows a pair of inkunits B selectively positioned within the casing l I].

The ink units B are hollow tubing and provide reservoirs for a supply ofink such as is used for a ball writing point. The body H of the unit Bsupports the ink therein. On the forward end of the unit B, I provide awriting ball l2 which is adapted to carry the ink from the chamber ofthe body I I. Each unit B is supported by the spring arm I3 projectingfrom the rear thereof to the threaded crosshead M which engages thethreads [5 formed in the core member IS. The threads [5 are cut in aright and left-hand direction, and the threads on the crossheads M areformed accordingly, so that when the core member I6 is rotated, the inkunits B may be selectively moved into writing position with the writingball [2 projecting out of the writing tip I! of the instrument A.

The crossheads I4 are held against rotation by the slotted sleeve l8which is formed with longitudinal slots l9. 1

The threaded core member I 6 is part of the end 20 which is adapted tobe rotated by the rear end 2| of the writing instrument A. The guidesleeve [8 is rotatably mounted on the end 20 and interposed between theend member Ill and the threaded core member IS. The sides 22 of thesleeve l8 form spring arms for engaging in the rear end of the casing land which act to hold the propelling mechanism C removable from thecasing l0, when a backward pull is exerted against the rear end 2| ofthe writing instrument A. A plug 23 is fixed in the inner end of thecore member 20 and is formed with an annular shoulder 24 which keeps thethreaded sleeve I6 assembled on the end 20 and permits it to rotatefreely between the inner end of the sleeve I8 and the annular shoulder24.

In operation the writing instrument A provides a propelling andrepelling mechanism C which frictionally operates the respective inkunits B into or out of writing position in relation to the casing [0.Figure 1 illustrates the right-hand ink unit B moved into writingposition with the ball l2 projecting from the writing tip l1.

It is obvious that a neutral positionof the writing units B maybeassumed by rotating the end 2| of the writing instrument A to withdrawthe writing balls I2 into the casing H) where they are maintained out ofwriting position when not desired for use. Thus, the writing instrumentA requires no cap. The ink units B are virtually identical, and one ofthe units may carry a blue or dark colored ink while the other unit maycarry a supply of red ink. In the pen A, there are just two units B.Thus, this pen is equipped with selective ink units B, either of whichmay be put into operation by rotating the operating head 2| in either aright-hand or lefthand direction, or both of the units B may be,

more, the advantage of a writing instrument as.

heretofore set forth is apparent because it provides a means ofselecting the color of ink desired to be used. This selection may bemade virtually instantly by the operator of the writing instrument. Itwill also be apparent that I have provided within the size of anordinary pencil or fountain pen a selection of writing ink units, whichare ever ready to the user of this instrument by selecting the unitdesired and moving it' into writing position.

I claim: 7

In a capless selective writing instrument, a partial casing portion, asleeve having slots formed therein and a shoulder formed at the rear endof each of said slots, said sleeve secured in the upper end of saidcasing portion, a threaded core member rotatable within said sleeve, arear end casing portion secured to the upper end of said core memberadapted to rotate said core member within said slotted sleeve, threadedcross heads adapted to engage with said threaded core member and move insaid slots of said sleeve between said core member and said casing andto contact said shoulders when said cross heads are moved rearwardly insaid slots, spring arms secured to said cross head, ink containershaving writing ends formed thereon and secured to said spring armsadapted to be alternately extended or withdrawn through an openingformed in the lower end of said casing by rotating said rear end casingportion. JOHN A. VIERLING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 940,247 Haring Nov. 16, 19091,685,374 Partos Sept. 25, 1928 1,731,683 Rebaylio Oct. 15, 19291,786,434 Kohler Dec. 30, 1930 1,903,800 Yamashita Apr. 18, 19332,071,510 Durrler Feb. 23, 1937 2,264,463 Tomatsu Dec. 2, 1941.2,369,080 Schulman Feb. 6, 1945 2,427,068 Randolph Sept. 9, 19472,432,061 Chesler Dec. 2, 1947

